Improved spice case



-Anitervtatesi strut ffice. e l t i JOHN T. OARTER AND JOHN PARK, OE LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS. Letters Patent No. 71,977, dated December 1(1), 1867.

IMPROVED SPIcE-cAsE.

T0 ALL WIIOM IT MAY CONCERN: V

Beit known that we, JOHN T. CARTER and JonN PARK, both ot' Lowell, in the county of Middlesex, and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Spice-Cases; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had-to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of our invention consists in providing a spice-case with a suitable number of boxes or cups, they beiug'held in position by springs, and operated on pivots or shafts, giving them an eccentric motion;A the object being to provide and furnish a. spice-case that will enable the user to sec at rst sight the required material to be used; one that will retain the eritire strength of spices, easy kept in order and clean, and also .to keep the vdiil'erent spices from mixing ones flavor with another.

To enable others 'skilled in the art to make and use our invention, we will proceedto describe its construction and operation.

Figure 1 represents a plan of our improved spice-case with parts broken out, showing the operation of-.the-

boxes or cups.

Figure 2 represents a side elevation of our improved spice-ease. Similar letters iu the different figures indicate corresponding parts'.

a represents the ease, which we construct plain or ornamental, and in various sizes, with 4the required number of shelves, b b b b, these shelves being divided ofi' into the desired number of parts, for the reception of the boxes or cups c e. The case a is also provided with feet d did, handle e,'for removing the same from place to place, anda loop7 j', to hang the case a up, when desired. gg, the pivots or shafts, which pass through `the front ot' the shelves b b b b, and the eccentric bearings, 7i, of the cups or boxes c c, these pivots, gg, being pro-- *vided with suitable knobs, z'z', or similar devices, to aid in removing the saule, when the cas-e a and 4cups c e are to be cleaned. ,The bearings, i L, are-formed of tubes, their length corresponding with tbe-depth ofthe boxes or cups c c, and are located between the-axis and periphery of the cups c c,giving them an eccentric movement when used; the cups or `boxes, c c being lettered to indicate the di'ercnt kinds .of spices, and are also furnished Vwith rings,j j, or their equivalents, to aid in operating the same.. k are springs, ne or both ends of which are fastened to the top of the shelves b b b, their bearing-'surface coming directly in under the centre of the cups c e, thus keeping the tops of the cups c c snug and close to the bottom of the shelves b b b, the shelves forming covers for the same.

The case a being thus' prepared, with its'feet cZ d d, handle e, and loop the cups or boxes e c placed in their required position, the operator at a singlc'glance finds the required article desired, and, by aid of the ring j, swings the cup c from `the shelf b, as seen in red lines insg. 1, which brings its contents exposed to view. When not wanted, the operator swings the cup c back in its place, and by the aidof the springs l: lc, pressing against the bottom, keeps the cups c c close up to the bottomA of the shelvcslz b-b b. The cups c c being' thus covered, the whole strength of the diii'erent spices is retained. l g

Thus it will be seen, by our 'improved device, the operatoris enabled to.keep lier spices compact, and safe from being exposed to the air, and by so doing retaining the entire strength of the diierent spices therein contained, easily removed from place to place, and can be hung up if required.

What we elaim'as our invention, and desire to secure by.Letters Patent, is 1. The cups or boxes c c, when arranged to operate substantially as described, and for the purposes, fully set forth.

2. We claim the springs l: lc, in combination with the cups'or boxes c c, for the purpose describedand i set forth.

3. We claim the combination and arrangement of the case a with its feet d d lel, handle c, loop f, and

shelves b b b b, cups or boxesie e, and springs t 7c, all for the purposes substantially as described and set forth.

JOHN T. CARTER, t JOHN PARK.

Witnesses:

JOHN M. PEVEY, 'G-Eo. E. PEvEY.. 

